Bed panel with torsion pin hinge

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for coupling a vehicle body panel partition for pivotal movement between an upright and a retracted position. A mounting includes hinge sets formed from two hinge leafs, each hinge leaf being used to retain one of the alternate ends of the torsion rod pin extending through aligned pivot portions on each pin leaf. Preferably, each hinge set is integrally formed with the torsion pin by retainers holding ends of the torsion pin with respect to each of the leafs. In the preferred embodiment, a return bent end of the torsion pin is received in an extended support member while the other end is retained in a returned bent portion of the second leaf, each end extending in a radial direction aligned at an angle to the direction of the other end.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a vehicle compartment partition and thehinge assembly associated with the partition that includes a torsion rodas the hinge pin journaled within the hinge leafs as well as a methodfor assembling the hinge.

BACKGROUND ART

The construction of a movable vehicle partitioning panel, for example, apanel at the rear of the passenger compartment of a pickup truck stylebody type, raises challenges for vehicle manufacturers. The interior aswell as the exterior surfaces must be compatible with the adjacentinterior compartment and exterior compartments of the vehicle. Inaddition, the mounting mechanism may be concealed for aestheticpurposes, but the panel must be stable in upright and lowered positions.As a result, any attempt to make the panel displaceable, for example, apivot axis mounting, preferably one that includes lift assist, must becompactly packaged without affecting the aesthetic appearance or thefunctionality of the panel. For example, previously known mechanisms fordisplacing or removing vehicle body partitions, such as pickup truckstyle tailgates, may occupy substantial spaces in the adjacent rear bodypanels of the vehicle, and such space is not available near the front ofthe bed where other body panel features such as door supports, glasssupports, hinge supports and lock supports must be aesthetically andfunctionally retained at the same location.

One example of a previously known tailgate mounting unit that permitspivoting of the tailgate uses a torque rod and first and second hingesets at spaced apart positions. However, while long torque rodsextending through spaced hinge sets improve available torque and cyclelife of the hinge, such extended length or rod constructions lack selfcontainment of the hinge and require adjacent support structures. As aresult, the hinge structures are not so easily assembled with numerousparts coupled about the torque rod.

Another known tailgate hinge design that employs lift assistance in theform of coiled or clock spring type torsion devices are expensive toconstruct and generate such problems such as cycle noise and poor cyclelife, due to binding between the numerous coils of the torsion springstructure in the panel mounting assembly. Moreover, previously knownself-contained hinges with torque rods and spring designs do not providea sufficient length of wire in which torsion energy can be generated todisplace opposite ends of the torsion rod and thus the leaf members ofthe hinge set, when the hinge parts are mounted to large or massivestructures.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages byproviding a vehicle partitioning panel with a mounting assemblyincluding a hinge with a torsion rod self-contained in the hinge sets.Preferably, each hinge set includes a separate torsion pin to avoid offaxis moments along the length of the panel. In addition, separated hingesets ease installation by mounting the hinge sets as preformed units.

The present invention also provides a method for forming torsion pinhinge set in which the torsion pin has an elongated leg that extendsthrough aligned first and second bores in the first and second leafparts, respectively, bending an end of the pin to a return bentposition, and retracting the return bent portion into engagement withthe leaf structure. The other end of the torsion pin is retained byengagement with the other leaf part. Preferably, the engagement isperformed by a retainer formed as a return bent portion of a hinge leafplate. The bent portion of the plate can be clamped against an end,preferably a bent end, of the torsion pin to minimize assemblystructures and techniques during production.

As a result, the present invention provides a vehicle compartmentpartition for a vehicle body having a floor panel to be partitioned. Aframe structure for the partition includes a mount for a hinge leaf, andthe hinge leaf contains a portion with a bore adapted to be aligned to abore in a second pivot portion on a second leaf adapted to be mounted tothe floor panel. A torsion rod having an elongated leg extending throughthe aligned first and second pivot portions, includes ends that areretained with respect to one and the other of the leafs, respectively,to form an integral structure. The leafs of each hinge set are thenreadily mounted to the frame structure of the partition panel and thefloor panel, respectively. Preferably, the ends of the torsion rod arebent to define an included angle of neutral torsion less than andintermediate to the upright and retracted positions of the panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more clearly understood by reference tothe following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout the views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle compartment having apartition mounted in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from a different direction and exhibiting apartition of FIG. 1 in a different operating position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge set shown in FIGS. 1and 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 3 but reversed.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, a motor vehicle 10 is shown comprising a body12 defining an interior compartment 14 and a rear compartment 16separated by bulkhead 18. The bulkhead 18 may be made of one or morestructural panels, and in the preferred embodiment, includes a partition20 carried by a mounting 22 that supports the panel 20 for pivotingdisplacement from an upright or latched position to a horizontal orretracted position as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.Nevertheless, it should be understood that the partition 20 and mount 22may be employed for selective separation of other vehicle compartmentsin a body 12 without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention.

In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the mounting 22comprises a pair of hinge sets 24. Each hinge set 24 includes a firsthinge leaf 26 including a mount portion 36 dimensioned to mate with aframe structure 21 of the partition 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the mountportion 36 may include multiple attachment points, for example, theorthogonally aligned attachment flanges 37 and 39. An extended supportportion 28 on the first leaf 26 carries a pivot portion 30 with a bore31 dimensioned to receive a pivot pin as will be described in greaterdetail below. Preferably, the pivot portion 30 is carried by an extendedsupport portion 28 at a spaced position from the mount portion 36preferably formed as a bent flange portion of a plate forming the firsthinge leaf 26. Similarly, a second leaf 40 includes a mount portion 42dimensioned for mating with a portion 44 of the floor panel 46. Anextended support portion 48, also provided by a pair of flanges bentfrom the plate 45, carries a second pivot portion 50 also adapted toreceive a pivot pin as described in greater detail below.

In the preferred embodiment, the pivot portion 30 of the first leaf 26includes a bore 31 that is aligned with a bore 33 in the pivot portion50 of the second leaf 40 to receive an elongated hinge pin. Preferably,the hinge pin is a one piece torsion rod dimensioned to be received inthe aligned bores of pivot portions 30 and 50 respectively. Of course,modifications of the hinge pin are possible, such as a hollow hinge pinsleeves that receives a torsion rod. However, unlike previously knowntorsion pin hinges, the torsion rod is retained with respect to thehinge leafs to provide an integral structure for ease of assembly.Preferably, each hinge set includes a torsion rod 60 whose ends areretained with respect to alternate ones of the leaf parts to providespring biasing between the leaf parts depending upon the positions ofthe leafs as will be discussed in greater detail below. Preferably, eachpivot portion 30 is formed by a flange bent from the plate of thebracket forming each leaf. Preferably, the bore 31 may be formed as anaperture in the flange that carries a bushing with an expanded collar toguide displacement of one leaf part with respect to the other leaf part.

In the preferred embodiment, the torsion rod 60 includes an elongatedleg 62 inserted and received through the aligned pivot portions 30 and50. Once the leg 62 has been extended through the aligned pivot portions30 and 50, the first inserted end 64 of the torsion rod 60 is returnbent, so that the end 64 may be engaged with respect to the supportportion 28 of the hinge leaf. Preferably, the return bent portion is asimple bend, for example, an arc in a single radius, although multipleradiuses and bends may be provided without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, engagementof the end 64 comprises retraction of the first end 64 into an opening66 in the support portion 28. Preferably, the opening 66 is embossed orotherwise reinforced as shown in FIG. 3 at 70 so that the first end 64is locked to the support portion 28 as the leaf 26 is pivoted withrespect to the second leaf 40.

A second end 80 is then retained with respect to the other leaf 40 ofthe hinge set. In the preferred embodiment, the second end 80 is bentoutwardly from the axis of the elongated leg 62 and engaged with respectto the mount portion 42 of the second leaf. In the preferred embodiment,the retainer 78 for the end 80 includes a return bent portion 76 of theplate forming the second leaf 40 and its mount 42. The plate includes araised shoulder 84 that supports the end 80 at the height of the alignedpivot portions 30 and 50 above the mount portion 42 of the second leaf40 and a rolled flange 74 forms a retainer 86 entrapping the leg 82 atend 80 to retain the end 80 in a tight socket with respect to the secondleaf 40. Preferably, each leaf pair 26 and 40 includes an integraltorsion rod hinge pin, although a common torsion rod could be used intwo or more aligned hinged sets 24. Nevertheless, the use of separatetorsion rods 60 at each hinge set 24 reduces off axis moments that mightotherwise effect alignment of the partition panel 20 within the bulkhead18.

Preferably, each hinge set 24 may be wholly constructed beforeattachment to the partition 20 and before assembly of a partition 20 tothe vehicle body 12. In the preferred embodiment, attachment openings 90are formed in the mount portion 36 and in the mount portion 42 of thefirst and second leafs, respectively, adapted to receive fasteners suchas rivets, bolts, welds or the like that can be used to retain the mountportions 36 and 42 with respect to the partition and the vehicle floor,respectively. In the preferred embodiment, the partition frame 21 mayinclude threaded apertures that receive threaded fasteners extendingthrough the openings 90 in the mount portion 36. Similarly, weld nuts orthe like may be mounted in the vehicle floor panel 46 for threadablyreceiving bolts that extend through the openings 90 in the mount portion42 of the second leaf 40.

Preferably, the direction at which the first end 64 extends radiallyoutwardly from the axis of the elongated leg 62 is angled with respectto the direction at which the leg 82 of end 80 extends from theelongated leg 62 of the rod 60 when the ends are in the retainedposition. The angle between the ends 64 and 80 in a plane orthogonal tothe leg 62 generates a neutral position, preferably at an anglepreferably intermediate the latched and retracted positions of thepartition 20. Preferably, the torsion rod provides a neutral spring biasat position about 30° from the upright position of the partition 20 sothat a slight spring force urges the partition 20 away from the uprightposition at which it is latched to the bulkhead 18 when the partition isunlatched. Of course, a common latch mechanism may be employed to lockthe partition 20 in its upright position, its retracted position, orboth, to resist the spring tension that tends to move the panel towardthe neutral position. A greater angle of displacement preferably occursbetween the neutral position of the spring and the retracted position ofthe partition 20. Accordingly, a greater spring force is generated inthe torsion pin 60 to raise the partition 20 from its retracted positionalong the floor panel 46.

Having thus described the present invention, any modifications willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present invention as definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle compartment partition for a vehiclebody having a floor panel comprising: frame structure including a mountfor a hinge leaf; at least one first hinge leaf including a mountportion dimensioned to mate with said frame structure mount, and anextended support portion, a first pivot portion carried by said extendedsupport portion at a spaced position from said mount portion; at leastone second hinge leaf including a mount portion dimensioned for matingwith a portion of the floor panel, and an extended support portion, asecond pivot portion carried by said extended support portion foralignment with said first pivot portion; and a torsion rod having anelongated leg extending through aligned first and second pivot portions,said torsion rod having a first rod end retained against rotation withrespect to one of said first and second hinge leafs, and a second rodend return bent from an aligned longitudinal portion and retained withrespect to a support portion of the other of said first and second hingeleafs.
 2. The vehicle compartment partition as described in claim 1wherein said first and second pivot portions include a bore thatreceives said elongated leg solely.
 3. The vehicle compartment partitionas described in claim 1 wherein said first end of said torsion rodcomprises a leg formed by a bend in the rod.
 4. The vehicle compartmentpartition as described in claim 3 wherein said leg is retained in anopening in said one of said first and second hinge leafs.
 5. The vehiclecompartment partition as described in claim 4 wherein said openingcomprises an aperture in said support portion of said one leaf.
 6. Thevehicle compartment partition as described in claim 4 wherein said oneleaf includes a return bent portion forming said opening as a channel.7. The vehicle compartment partition as described in claim 6 whereinsaid return bent portion is rolled.
 8. The vehicle compartment partitionas described in claim 1 wherein said second end is received in anopening in said support portion.
 9. The vehicle compartment partition asdescribed in claim 8 wherein said first end comprises a leg formed by abend in the rod, and said leg is clamped to said one leaf.
 10. A methodfor assembling a vehicle body panel hinge having a first leaf with afirst pivot portion and a second leaf with a second pivot portioncomprising: aligning said first and second pivot portions along a commonaxis; inserting a torsion rod into said aligned first and second pivotportions; bending a first end of said torsion rod to a return bentposition; engaging said first end into fixed engagement with one of saidleafs; and retaining a second end of said torsion rod in a fixedengagement with the other of said first and second leafs.
 11. The methodas described in claim 10 wherein said retaining step comprises clampingsaid second end to said other leaf.
 12. The method as described in claim11 wherein said clamping step comprises return bending a portion of saidother leaf.
 13. The method as described in claim 10 and furthercomprising bending said torsion rod to form a leg at said second end.14. The method as described in claim 13 wherein said bending to form aleg at said second end precedes said inserting.
 15. The method asdescribed in claim 10 wherein said bending a first end of said torsionrod precedes said inserting.
 16. The method as described in claim 15wherein said engaging step includes a portion of said inserting step.17. The method as described in claim 10 wherein said bending stepfollows said inserting step and said engaging step comprises retractingsaid first end into an opening in said first leaf.
 18. The vehiclecompartment partition as described in claim 1 wherein one of said firstand second rod ends comprises a bent rod portion.
 19. The vehiclecompartment partition as described in claim 18 wherein said one of saidfirst and second rod ends is retained in an opening in a respective oneof said first and second hinge leafs.
 20. The vehicle compartmentpartition as described in claim 19 wherein said one end is said firstend and said one leaf includes a return bent portion forming saidopening as a channel.
 21. The vehicle compartment partition as describedin claim 19 wherein said one end is said second end and said one leafincludes a support flange with an aperture receiving said second end.22. The method as described in claim 10 wherein said inserting displacessaid rod in a first direction along a longitudinal axis, and whereinsaid engaging said first end comprises retracting said rod in adirection opposite to said first direction.
 23. The method as describedin claim 10 wherein said rod includes an elongated leg and wherein saidbending a first end displaces said end to a first alignment with respectto said elongated leg.
 24. The method as described in claim 23 whereinsaid bending to form a second leg includes displacing said second end toa second alignment with respect to said elongated leg.
 25. The method asdescribed in claim 24 wherein one of said bending functions includesforming said first alignment of said first rod end in a predeterminedrelationship with respect to said second alignment of said second leg.26. The method as described in claim 25 wherein said predeterminedrelationship is an angle within a plane perpendicular to said elongatedleg.
 27. The method as described in claim 13 wherein said bending toform a leg at said second end precedes said bending a first end of saidtorsion rod so that said bending a first end aligns a first planeincluding said return bent first end in a fixed angle with respect to aplane including said elongated leg and said leg at said second end. 28.The method as described in claim 26 wherein said fixed angle positionssaid partition at a position intermediate a fully closed position and afully open position.
 29. A vehicle hinge comprising: at least one firsthinge leaf including a mount portion for mounting a panel to be hinged,an extended support portion, and a first pivot portion carried by saidextended support portion at a spaced position from said mount portion;at least one second hinge leaf including a mount portion for mounting toa support panel to be hinged, an extended support portion, and a secondpivot portion carried by said extended support portion for alignmentwith said first pivot portion; and a torsion rod having an elongated legextending through aligned first and second pivot portions, said torsionrod having a first rod end retained against rotation with respect to oneof said first and second hinge leafs, and a second rod end return bentfrom an aligned longitudinal portion and retained with respect to asupport portion of the other of said first and second hinge leafs. 30.The vehicle hinge as described in claim 29 wherein said first and secondpivot portions include a bore that receives said elongated leg solely.31. The vehicle hinge as described in claim 29 wherein said first end ofsaid torsion rod comprises a leg formed by a bend in the rod.
 32. Thevehicle hinge as described in claim 31 wherein said leg is retained inan opening in said one of said first and second hinge leafs.
 33. Thevehicle hinge as described in claim 32 wherein at least one of saidsupport portions is a flange and said opening comprises an aperture insaid support flange of said one leaf.
 34. The vehicle hinge as describedin claim 32 wherein said one leaf includes a return bent portion formingsaid opening as a channel.
 35. The vehicle hinge as described in claim34 wherein said return bent portion is rolled.
 36. The vehicle hinge asdescribed in claim 29 wherein said second end is received in an aperturein said support portion.
 37. The vehicle hinge as described in claim 36wherein said first end comprises a leg formed by a bend in the rod, andsaid leg is clamped to said one leaf.